A winter of discontent for the Academy Awards will culminate Sunday in an Oscar ceremony that may lack a host but isnB次元官网网址檛 missing intrigue.

The run-up to the 91st Academy Awards has been a series of missteps and backtracks by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. A new best B次元官网网址減opular filmB次元官网网址� category was in, and then it was out . . Some categories were removed from the live broadcast, and then they were back.

But if the script this Oscar season has been constantly rewritten, the film academy is hoping for a Hollywood ending (and much better ratings than the all-time low viewership last year .) ABCB次元官网网址檚 telecast will begin at 8 p.m. EST following the usual red carpet festivities. The show is available for livestream via ABC in some cities to users with a participating TV provider.

After some unlikely Los Angeles weather B次元官网网址� to much local fanfare, it snowed in parts of the city on Thursday B次元官网网址� sunny skies are expected for red carpet arrivals.

Producers Donna Gigliotti and Glenn Weiss have pledged that the show will be speedier this year , even though its initial goal of a three-hour broadcast has faded. Kicking things off will be a performance by Queen, featuring Adam Lambert, to celebrate the best picture-nominee B次元官网网址淏ohemian Rhapsody.B次元官网网址�

Countless stories, one night. The , tonight at 8e|5p.

B次元官网网址� The Academy (@TheAcademy)

In the academyB次元官网网址檚 favour is a popular crop of nominees: B次元官网网址淏ohemian Rhapsody,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址滱 Star Is BornB次元官网网址� and, most of all, B次元官网网址淏lack PantherB次元官网网址� have all amassed huge sums in ticket sales. Typically, when there are box-office hits (like B次元官网网址淭itanicB次元官网网址�), more people watch the Oscars.

But just how many people have seen one of the top nominees and the film favoured to win best picture B次元官网网址� Alfonso CuaronB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淩omaB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� remains unknown. Netflix has declined to give box-office results or steaming viewership. It remains a nominee unlike any other. Should B次元官网网址淩omaB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� a black-and-white, Spanish and Mixtec language film about a domestic worker in a Mexican family B次元官网网址� win, it will be both the first Netflix movie to win best picture and the first foreign language film to do so.

Yet this yearB次元官网网址檚 race has been maddeningly unpredictable , with the usual predictive awards being spread across contenders such as Peter FarrellyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淕reen Book,B次元官网网址� a divisive period dramedy about a black pianist (Mahershala Ali) and his white chauffer (Viggo Mortensen); the royal romp B次元官网网址淭he Favourite; and Ryan CooglerB次元官网网址檚 Marvel sensation B次元官网网址淏lack Panther,B次元官网网址� which could become the first superhero film ever to win HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 top award.

Other milestones are possible, too. Though Cuaron is favoured for best director, a win for Spike Lee (B次元官网网址淏lacKkKlansmanB次元官网网址�) would make him the first black filmmaker to ever win the award. Lee has said he likes his filmB次元官网网址檚 underdog position as a B次元官网网址渄ark horse B次元官网网址� pun intended.B次元官网网址� Lee and his fellow screenwriters are also up for best screenplay, which would give the 61-year-old Lee his first competitive Oscar.

Many also expect Glenn Close, in her seventh nomination, to finally win one. SheB次元官网网址檚 the front-runner for best actress for her performance in B次元官网网址淭he Wife,B次元官网网址� a film about the overlooked and under-honoured spouse of an acclaimed novelist. Though Lady Gaga began the season as the favourite, Close has won a string of awards leading up to the Oscars, including at SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 Independent Spirit Awards where she brought her dog, Pip, along as a date.

One virtual lock: Marvel will win its first Oscar. Though B次元官网网址淏lack Panther,B次元官网网址� up for six awards and could win in a number of categories, B次元官网网址淪pider-Man: Into the Spider-VerseB次元官网网址� is considered the overwhelming favourite for best animated film.

Last yearB次元官网网址檚 Oscars followed the rise of the #MeToo movement, the launch of the gender equality group TimeB次元官网网址檚 Up and the downfall of Harvey Weinstein. A year after best-actress winner Frances McDormand urged the adoption of an B次元官网网址渋nclusion riderB次元官网网址� (a contractual stipulation for the diversity of a filmB次元官网网址檚 cast and crew), numerous production companies, stars and one studio (Warner Bros.) have made similar pledges.

How much gender equality will be discussed at this yearB次元官网网址檚 Oscars is unclear. Many have criticized this yearB次元官网网址檚 selections for lacking a female nominee in the best director category (Greta Gerwig was the fifth ever last year) or a best picture nominee directed by a woman. Recent studies have shown that Hollywood improved on many counts in diversity and gender parity in 2018, but remains far from equitable for women and people of colour.

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In the last few years, the academy has considerably increased its membership in an effort to diversify its ranks, which have historically been overwhelmingly white and male. In June, the academy invited a record 928 new members.

Several of this yearB次元官网网址檚 nominees have been affected by sexual misconduct allegations. B次元官网网址淏ohemian RhapsodyB次元官网网址� director Bryan Singer, who was fired in mid-production, was accused of sexually assaulting minors ; he has denied it. B次元官网网址淚ncredibles 2B次元官网网址� producer and Pixar co-founder John Lasseter last year departed the Walt Disney Co. after acknowledging B次元官网网址渕isstepsB次元官网网址� in his behaviour with female employees. (He has since been hired by Skydance Media.)

Without a host, the film academy has emphasized its eclectic lineup of presenters. They include: Barbra Streisand, Congressman John Lewis, Serena Williams, Mike Myers, Chadwick Boseman, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Brie Larson, Awkwafina and Samuel L. Jackson.

After initially scaling back performance of best song nominees, four of the five songs will be performed. The exception is Kendrick Lamar and SZA, who will no longer perform B次元官网网址淎ll the StarsB次元官网网址� from B次元官网网址淏lack Panther.B次元官网网址�

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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

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